Slowdown hits construction business in state Fall Sharpest Among Key Industries

Mumbai: The construction industry in Maharashtra has been hit by the economic slowdown with fewer developers queuing up for permission across major cities, including Mumbai and Pune. Only Solapur has recorded a growth.      Stamp duty registration and other duties show collections have dropped by 12% in the last quarter, compared to the same period last year. Between April and June, the government collected Rs 7,171 crore against Rs 8,152 crore during the same period last year.      The decline in the construction sector is the sharpest among other key sectors like automobile (-1.74%), electrical goods (-4.72%), engineering (-1.43%), metals (-2.45%) and garments and textiles (-2.97%), which, too, have reported negative growth for the quarter ending June.      The quarterly figures were put up for review before chief minister Prithviraj Chavan last week by the state industry and finance departments.      The latest figures show that the downturn is bleeding the construction industry. In Mumbai, only 429 projects are likely to come up in the current year with a total construction area of 19.32 lakh sq metres, while the corresponding figure last yearwas 444 projects covering 17.44 lakh sqm. In 2010-11, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation had approved 1,065 proposals measuring 69.68 lakh sqm.  Doppler radar stalls half-built  tower in Mazgaon      An under-construction residential tower at Mazgaon (above) may be the first casualty of the Doppler weather radar at Colaba. Work on the half-built skyscraper (13 of the 26 storeys planned have been built) ground to a halt after the Indian Meteorological Department restricted its height to 75.45 metres. TOI, on August 27, had reported that builders in the island city have been hit hard by the BMC insistence on a NOC from the weather department if their towers are over 70m high and fall within a 10-km radius of the Doppler radar. P 4 Chavan may approach Centre for assistance      In Pune, another fast-growing city, the proposals this year are 4,073 as opposed to 4,623 last year. The construction area covered by projects this year is estimated at 66.13 lakh sqm against 74.02 lakh sqm last year.      In Solapur, proposals increased from 2,482 in 2011-12 to 2,942 this year, aggregating construction work of 4.68 lakh sqm being currently carried out in the city. This, officials said, was owing to speedy completion of several infrastructure and roads projects in the region. Only 66 projects were approved in Mira-Bhayander this year, against 137 last year, and 402 in Malegaon and 972 in Nanded this year, as against 462 and 1,127 the previous year respectively.      The state industry and finance departments are seeking a stimulus for affected sectors as early as possible. Chavan has not ruled out approaching the Centre for help if push comes to shove in the next quarter. "I am really concerned about the bearing of the economic crisis on the state in general, especially key industrial sectors. We won't hesitate to approach the Centre for help," he said. STORY CUT SHORT

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WHEN STRUCTURAL REPAIRS CAN BE UNDERTAKEN...

GAJANAN KHERGAMKER lists down the situations when it becomes essential for buildings to go in for redevelopment or for any major structural changes to take place, that can prevent the building from collapsing

    The Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Board (MHADA) is expected to undertake structural repairs to buildings which are in ruinous condition and likely to deteriorate and fall. "On consideration of the information given by the municipal commissioner or a report of its officer authorised for the purpose or other information in its possession, if the board is satisfied that any building occupied, is in such a ruinous or dangerous condition, that is imminently likely to fall unless structural repairs which will render it fit and safe for habitation are urgently done, then in such cases, the board shall, subject to provisions of sub-section (3), undertake such repairs to that building. 
    According to subsection 2 of the MHADA Act, the board may prepare a list of such buildings, setting out the order of priority or urgency, in respect of which structural repairs are necessary and may undertake simultaneously or in such order of priority, the structural repairs according to the exigencies of the case and its resources. 
    Also, in case the board is of the opinion that a) the cost of structural repairs to a building per square metre, will exceed such an amount, as may be specified by the state government by notification, in the official gazette, to be the structural repairs cost per square metre or b) the cost of the structural repairs to a building, per square metre, will exceed the amount specified under clause (a) but the size of theland on which such building is standing in such that for some reason or the other it would not be possible or economical to erect any new building thereon and there is an adjoining building but the cost of structural repairs to such building, per square metre, does not exceed the amount specified under clause (a); the board may not consider such building/s for repairs. It may issue a certificate to that effect to the owner or owners thereof, as the case may be, affix a copy of the relevant certificate in some conspicuous part of the building or buildings for the information of the occupiers and proceed to take actions as provided. 
    In cases of special hardship, the board may, on such terms and conditions as it may deem fit to impose, consider a building for structural repairs even if the cost of such repairs is likely to exceed the limit. 
    In case, the occupiers of a building undertake that they shall bear the cost of such repairs which are in excess of the amount specified under clause (a) per square metre and abide by such terms and conditions for payment of the excess cost to the board as it may think fit to impose, the board may carry out structural repairs to such building. 
    The municipal commissioner shall, from time to time, send to the board, full particulars of the buildings which are in a ruinous or dangerous condition and the condition of which is such that they are likely to fall if structural repairs are not urgently undertaken. He may also send particulars of buildings to which a notice has been served under Section 354 of the Corporation Act but the same have not been complied with.

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